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Cyclone Odette (2019) (Olo72/GaryKJR)
Cyclone Odette (also known as Severe Tropical Cyclone Odette) was one of the most intense Australian tropical cyclones on record, with a minimum barometric pressure of 908 mbar (26.81 inHg) and 10-minute sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). The storm caused catastrophic damage in Queensland after it paralleled the state's eastern coast before making landfall near Hervey Bay, a coastal city in the southeastern portion of the state. The precursor to Odette was a broad tropical low that formed south of Papua New Guinea on February 12. The low traveled southeastward until a westward turn occurred early on February 13. Amid very low wind shear, sea surface temperatures of nearly 31°C (87.8°F), and high mid-level relative humidity values, the low organized quickly. At 18:00 UTC on February 13, after deep convection began to consolidate around its low-level circulation, which ship reports and scatterometer data indicated was closed, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) initiated advisories on the system; therefore, it received the designation of 12P; at the time, the system was located between the southeastern coast of Papua New Guinea and the eastern coast of Australia. In its first advisory for the storm, the JTWC remarked that the system had the potential to rapidly intensify as it entered an area of excellent upper-level divergence and high sea surface temperatures that was located near the coast of Australia. Early the next day, TCWC Brisbane followed suit, designating it as Tropical Low 17U. After being designated as a tropical cyclone, the storm began to drift westward. At 06:00 UTC on February 14, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upgraded the system to a tropical storm. Six hours later, TCWC Brisbane assigned the cyclone the name ''Odette ''after it was determined that it had attained 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), which is the lowest wind speed required for a designation as a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Shortly after being named, Odette began to undergo explosive intensification as a ridge to its east caused it to turn southward. In a 48-hour period that began late on February 14 and ended late on February 16, Odette's barometric pressure dropped from 988 mbar (29.18 inHg) to 908 mbar (26.81 inHg), and its 10-minute maximum sustained winds increased from 45 mph (70 km/h), a minimal Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, to 155 mph (250 km/h), a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. During this time, Odette developed well-defined convective banding and outflow and an eye with a diameter of 40 miles (64 kilometers). At its peak, the JTWC reported that Odette was an extremely powerful Category 5-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale with 1-minute sustained winds of around 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 905 mbar (26.72 inHg). Shortly after reaching peak intensity, Odette began to weaken as wind shear abruptly increased around it and a surge of continental dry air led to the warming and waning of convection around its core. On February 17, Odette began to fluctuate between Category 5 status and Category 4 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale as an eyewall replacement cycle caused the storm to develop a new, larger eye. Late on February 18, Odette made landfall near Hervey Bay, Queensland, as a Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale and a Category 3 on the Australian scale. After making landfall, Odette began to weaken at a fast pace as it interacted with the terrain of southeastern Australia. Early on February 19, Odette curved eastward as it interacted with the prevailing westerly mid-latitude flow. At 00:00 UTC the next day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified Odette as an extratropical cyclone after its thermal structure transformed to resemble that of a typical extratropical cyclone, with a cold and asymmetric core. Later that day, TCWC Brisbane classified Odette as an extratropical cyclone as well. The extratropical remnants of Odette traveled eastward before dissipating near New Zealand's North Island.Category:Cyclones Meteorological history The Bureau of Meteorology noted on 13 February that a low-pressure system located well east of Queensland have developed into a tropical low Preparations Impact Aftermath Category:Costly Cyclones Category:Deadly Cyclones Category:Category 5 cyclones Category:GaryKJR Category:Olo72